Revenge is Sweet for 4A Perryton Over 3A Canadian, 24-14

By Chris Doelle
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: September 11, 2016

photos: Alan Hale

Texas high school football payback

The scene is straight out of a dream every Texas high school football player has during their short one to four year varsity career. The student body, faithful to have waited through a two-hour weather delay, rushes onto the field waving Old Glory, the Texas Lone Star flag and their school flag to celebrate with their team a victory over a lower classification state-ranked team they haven’t beat in the last four seasons. As their coaches had already said, it wouldn’t be their Super Bowl. But everyone knew how it could define the rest of the 2016 season for the Perryton Rangers and avenge the 52-6 pounding Canadian served up on the road at Ranger Stadium last season.

The Canadian Wildcats faced a Perryton program on this Friday night with no less than 24 Seniors and 15 or so returning starters from this Class 4A Panhandle squad. On offense, QB Hadley Allred was given the protection to find receivers or open lanes to scramble through. On defense, the Rangers put significant pressure on QB Corbin Douthitt with DE Sean Walton leading the way.

But even with all of the impressive firepower Perryton brought and with an INT that resulted in a Ranger TD drive, it was still not enough to put away the young, but scrappy Wildcats until 1:58 left in the game with a 33-yard field goal by Luis Torres, making it a two possession game at 24-14.

The game started with both defenses holding serve. The Wildcats coming within inches of a 4th down conversion on the Ranger 22 yard line but missed their first chance.

On Canadian’s third possession, the Rangers collected an INT by LB Kaiden Summerville of a Douthitt pass through the hands of WR Trae Dwyer-Krehbiel which resulted in the first scoring drive of the night. QB Allred engineered a 9 play drive ending with a pass to WR Nick Watts from 12 yards out just inside the northeast pylon. Perryton struck again from Canadian’s 25 yard line when Allred hit WR Clay Feger on an improvised route in the back corner of the end zone. A drive set up by a 30 yard pass from RB Henry Torres to WR Clay Feger on the halfback pass call.

Canadian sustained an 11 play drive that ended with a 6 yard scramble into the end zone by QB Douthitt. Perryton then drove down to the Wildcat 2 yard line, and having run down the clock to deny the Wildcats another possession, was met by a huge stop on 4th and goal by the Canadian D, this just prior to an extended halftime of two hours due to a called weather delay by officials. The Rangers, with a chance to go up by 2 TDs were denied and the score remained 14-7.

After the second two hour weather delay in the last three weeks, Canadian came out to meet the same challenges they faced in the first half. The Rangers took 1:43 off the clock in the opening offensive drive 75 yards in 9 plays to take a two TD lead with big runs by RB Summerville and QB Allred finding open receivers.

Hope for the Wildcats was renewed once again when Canadian’s defense held the Rangers on a 4th down conversion attempt on their own 22 yard line, an opportunity for the Rangers to convert a Douthitt fumble into points. That second big defensive stand of the game for Canadian fueled the momentum for a 14 play drive that resulted in a 2 yard TD run buy the big Sr. RB Holton Hufstedler which was set up by a 30 yard pass reception by RB Chris Jones on a wheel route. (Jones also rushed for his third consecutive game over 100 yards). Time ran out in the 3rd quarter after the kickoff and it was “game on” once again as Perryton’s lead was cut to one TD, 21-14.

The 4th quarter proved to be frustrating offensively for the Wildcats as the Rangers executed time management to run down the clock with every opportunity available. Perryton’s last drive ended with 1:58 left, 3 more points on the board, and a defense ready to intercept QB Douthitt’s pass that fell short of a speeding WR Manny Ramsey, who had a step on the nearest defender. QB Allred took a knee, and the Ranger celebration began. With both marching bands unavailable after the extended halftime break, both Canadian and Perryton cheerleaders, players, and fans participated in another old Texas High School tradition as they do every week, singing their school songs in closing, band accompaniment or not.

Next week will see Perryton on the road to a much improved 4A Pampa squad, out to make a name for themselves as is Perryton. The Wildcats and the challenge they face to “Protect this House” at Wildcat Stadium only grows bigger with more pressure from the next opponent as they host State ranked Stratford for Homecoming week and from the media as Fox Sports Southwest DQ Big Game of the Week crew will visit Canadian to broadcast the highlights on their High School Scoreboard Live show.

Jerry Brunson for Lone Star Gridiron
@CHSWildcatNews